British Citizenship for US wife of EEA-national

[fromdenmark]

Hi. I'm from Denmark and my wife is from the US. We got married in Denmark about 2½ years ago, and moved to the UK just under 2 years ago. She has had an Immigration Document for about 1 year, that we got through the EEA2 application.

Our goal is to get her a dual citizenship (US and UK) if possible, and I want to make sure that we are doing things right, so we don't end up not being able to achieve that.

Currently we life off my early retirement pension and housing benefits (for about a year now). She is looking for a job, but so far no luck. We both have Health Insurance (from AXA).

1. Is it correct that under these circumstances, the earliest we can apply for a British Citizenship for her is 5+1 years after we moved here (so about 4 more years)? Or is there a way that we can apply before?
2. Then the application will cost £906 total?
3. Is there anything else that I am missing and should be aware of?

Thank you very much.

[CR001]

[quote="fromdenmark"

1. Is it correct that under these circumstances, the earliest we can apply for a British Citizenship for her is 5+1 years after we moved here (so about 4 more years)? Or is there a way that we can apply before? Yes, 5+1 unless you become British then she doesn't need the =1. No, there is no quicker route.
2. Then the application will cost £906 total? At the moment yes. The fees go up every year in April.
3. Is there anything else that I am missing and should be aware of? Have you looked at the form and guidance notes? Links below

Thank you very much.[/quote]

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/s ... N_v1_0.pdf

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/s ... N_v1_0.pdf

[fromdenmark]

1. Is it correct that under these circumstances, the earliest we can apply for a British Citizenship for her is 5+1 years after we moved here (so about 4 more years)? Or is there a way that we can apply before? Yes, 5+1 unless you become British then she doesn't need the =1. No, there is no quicker route.
2. Then the application will cost £906 total? At the moment yes. The fees go up every year in April.
3. Is there anything else that I am missing and should be aware of? Have you looked at the form and guidance notes? Links below

Thank you very much.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/s ... N_v1_0.pdf

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/s ... N_v1_0.pdf

Thank you very much

[fromdenmark]

I think I read somewhere that one of the requirements of getting a British Citizenship is that you stay in the country afterwards. What if we decided to go to US or Denmark for a year or so after she got her citizenship, and then return again? Might that be a problem?

[milan69]

Not true. Once you become BC you are free to travel without restrictions.

[CR001]

Although at the time of application, your intention should be to make the UK your home, so to speak. For example, where the questions asks it in the form, do not put that you might move abroad.

[fromdenmark]

Oh okay cool thank you very much.

[fromdenmark]

I actually have another question... reading through the documents linked to by CR001, it says that in the 5 year period, one should not have been absent from the UK for more than 450 days. Does that mean that if we eg. move back to Denmark for 3-4 months, then to the US for 3 months, and then back to the UK, it will not affect her citizenship application? Of course as long as her total absence from the UK doesn't pass 450 days in the 5 years?

[milan69]

In the final year you should not be absent more than 90 days. Anything above that and you will have to apply for discretion. If absent for more than 180 days in the final year your application will be refused.

[fromdenmark]

In the final year you should not be absent more than 90 days. Anything above that and you will have to apply for discretion. If absent for more than 180 days in the final year your application will be refused.

Oh okay. My thought was that we could leave for a total of 3-6 months here in year 3, maybe back to Denmark to save up some money while we look for a cheaper apartment in the UK.